USC Aiken Receives Make-A-Wish Award

Story courtesy of Pacer Sports

Hilton Head, S.C. (05/30/2019) — The University of South Carolina Aiken received the Most Improved Award for Make-A-Wish during the Peach Belt Conference's annual awards dinner.

The USC Aiken Student-Athlete Advisory Committee raised nearly $1,000 for Make-A-Wish during the 2018-19 season.

"SAAC is a wonderful organization I've been a part of since my freshman year," Rebecca Martinez said.

"It has grown so much this past year…With the Make-A-Wish project, we raised more money than we have in the last few years. I cannot help but think it's because everyone came together for this tremendous cause. SAAC cannot thank [Jim Herlihy, director of athletics] and Jenna Beauregard enough for helping us and standing by us each step of the way."

The SAAC board was comprised of Martinez, Faison Brock, and Kaitlyn Armstrong. Beauregard, USC Aiken's director of compliance, was the group's advisor.

To raise the money, the Pacers sold Make-A-Wish stars at the USC Aiken-UNC Pembroke home basketball doubleheader.

"I am very proud of this SAAC group for working together to come up with an event that was able to raise nearly $1,000 in the course of one evening," Beauregard said. "These student-athletes truly bought into the SAAC program this year, and I believe this is just the beginning for what they will continue to accomplish.

"I am very thankful to have worked with such a wonderful group of student-athletes and am extremely appreciative of their work effort and dedication throughout the year."

North Georgia raised the most in the PBC for the eighth consecutive year. Division II has raised nearly $6 million toward granting the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions. Almost 700 "wishes" have been granted through Division II contributions. These wishes can serve as a game changer in children's fights against their illnesses, helping them feel better, and in some cases even get better.

The PBC Make-A-Wish awards were renamed the LeeAnn Noble Make-A-Wish Awards following the 2013-14 season. Noble was a women's golfer at the University of North Georgia and former wish recipient from Make-A-Wish. She appeared on the cover of NCAA Champion Magazine in the fall of 2013. She passed away in March of 2014.

"Her dedication to the Make-A-Wish program will live on with these awards that will forever bear her name," said a member of the PBC.

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